HPD officer shoots at man in stolen squad car

Updated 8:05 am, Thursday, September 24, 2015

Photo: Cody Duty

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HPD officials say a man eluding arrest jumped into a patrol car in northwest Houston. Officers fired at the man behind the wheel as he drove towards them. He crashed into a ditch. He was not shot and was taken into custody. less

HPD officials say a man eluding arrest jumped into a patrol car in northwest Houston. Officers fired at the man behind the wheel as he drove towards them. He crashed into a ditch. He was not shot and was taken ... more

Photo: Cody Duty

Image 2 of 4

HPD officials say a man eluding arrest jumped into a patrol car in northwest Houston. Officers fired at the man behind the wheel as he drove towards them. He crashed into a ditch. He was not shot and was taken into custody. less

HPD officials say a man eluding arrest jumped into a patrol car in northwest Houston. Officers fired at the man behind the wheel as he drove towards them. He crashed into a ditch. He was not shot and was taken ... more

Photo: Cody Duty

Image 3 of 4

HPD officials say a man eluding arrest jumped into a patrol car in northwest Houston. Officers fired at the man behind the wheel as he drove towards them, crashing into a ditch. He was not shot and was taken into custody. less

HPD officials say a man eluding arrest jumped into a patrol car in northwest Houston. Officers fired at the man behind the wheel as he drove towards them, crashing into a ditch. He was not shot and was taken ... more

Photo: Cody Duty

Image 4 of 4

HPD officials say a man eluding arrest jumped into a patrol car in northwest Houston. Officers fired at the man behind the wheel as he drove towards them, crashing into a ditch. He was not shot and was taken into custody. less

HPD officials say a man eluding arrest jumped into a patrol car in northwest Houston. Officers fired at the man behind the wheel as he drove towards them, crashing into a ditch. He was not shot and was taken ... more

Photo: Cody Duty

HPD officer shoots at man in stolen squad car

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Police fired gunshots at a suspect after the man climbed into a squad car and drove toward an officer early Thursday morning in northwest Houston.

The incident happened about 2:30 a.m. in the 10000 block of Hanka near Witte, according to the Houston Police Department.

John Cannon, an HPD spokesman, said two officers were dispatched to investigate a stabbing at a nightclub called Faces at 1453 Witte. When they arrived they found a man outside in the parking lot who had been stabbed more than once. He was taken to a nearby hospital and was in serious condition.

Cannon said witnesses told the officers the victim had been in a fight with another man at the club. After the stabbing, they said, the suspect ran into a nearby apartment complex. They described the man and said his hand had been cut during the fight.

The officers drove to the complex and pulled into back parking lot to look for the man. When they spotted the suspect in the parking lot one of the officers got of the squad car and told him to stop. But the man ran away. The officer ran after him.

Cannon said the other officer ran in a different direction to intercept the fleeing suspect.

During the chase, the first officer saw the suspect climb into the squad car and tried to stop him. But the man drove away toward the other officer. That officer, Cannon said, feared for his safety and opened fire on the suspect. The gunshots did not wound anyone.

The suspect sped out of the parking lot, lost control of the cruiser and crashed into a ditch nearby. The officers took him into custody.

Cannon said the man had a cut on his hand from the fight at the club. He was taken to a nearby hospital.

The officers were not hurt.

Police are investigating the stabbing, but so far no information was released about what sparked the fight or if the suspect and victim knew each other.

As is customary in officer-involved shootings in the city, HPD Internal Affairs and Homicide departments are investigating the case.